Man dies after running into Utah festival bonfire

The Associated Press

GRANTSVILLE — Police say a man died over the weekend after jumping into a huge ceremonial bonfire at a Utah event similar to Burning Man.

The incident happened about 11 p.m. Saturday at the Element 11 festival in Grantsville, about 36 miles southwest of Salt Lake City.

Grantsville police Lt. Steve Barrett said the man had told some of the estimated 1,200 attendees he planned to run into the fire. Barrett said the three-story-tall effigy had been burning for about 30 minutes when the man crossed safety lines and jumped in.

Barrett says firefighters immediately tried to douse the flames, but were unable to save the man. Crews measured the fire temperature at 2,000 degrees just prior to the apparent suicide.